Character Growth and Progression

One of the first questions that many new players ask is “How do I level-up my character?” This becomes even more curious to the new player when the new player realizes that the character sheet does not have a spot for levels or experience points. That is because Legends of Nor'Ova does not use an experience based system. Instead, character growth and progression is tied to skill use and mastery, ability, as well as the gaining of character points which can be exchanged for either stat points or skill points.

The idea behind this is simple, simply hacking to death hordes of foes will not necessarily increase your character's understanding and ability. It doesn't matter how many enemies your character has slain if your character has learned nothing from it. Winning battles without using and mastering new skills and developing new abilities will not provide any real growth. To better illustrate this idea, Legends of Nor'Ova uses a two-part system for character growth and progression: Stat Points and Skill Points.

Stat Points are points that you can immediately put into any stat of your choosing, as long as that stat has not already reached its racial maximum. You can only obtain stat points by exchanging character points.

Skill Points are points that you use to master skills and spells, obtain new skills, spells, and abilities, and upgrade skills and spells. You get skill points for using skills. You can also exchange character points for skill points.

1. Character Points

Character points are points that can be exchanged for either skill points or stat points. You earn character points by the way you role play, in and out of battle. Largely this is determined by your GM, and can reflect the enemies you've slain just as well as the things you did with your character. Character points are best given at the end of the game night session, though the GM could decide to give them at any time.

Character Point Conversion Rates

Stat Points: It takes 10 character points to equal 1 stat point.

Skill Points: 1 character point equals 2 skill points.

In order to use character points, you have to exchange them for stat points or skill points. Here's how to do so:

2. The Importance of Skill Mastery and Abilities

You've may have noticed that some stats, such as Aim and Perception, are greatly handicapped. Aim for example will not break 50% on its on. This is where skills and abilities come in. Skills and abilities do more than just give you new ways to handle situations or defeat enemies. Some of them also give bonuses to your derived stats. Without these skills and abilities, your character's potential will be quiet limited.

Lets take Aim for example. If all you do is hack and slash and never work on skills, your character's Aim will be lucky to reach 50%, and that is assuming your character's Mental stat can reach 100. If you want a better than 50% chance to aim, ever, then you will need skills and abilities to improve that aim, and the more of them you master, the better your character's aim will be.

You could apply this with just about any of your character's derived stats. Want to be a warrior with a melee power greater than 100? You need skills. Want flawless perception? You need skills. The point is that in order to really grow your character you need to both master skills and acquire abilities.